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Audi R8 LMS GT4 debuts in New York, a ready-made race car

The new Audi R8 LMS GT4 race car has made its debut at this year's New York Auto Show. Since 2009, the Audi R8 LMS GT3 has been available for customer purchase, but this new model is intended to be even more affordable. LMS GT-class racing is some of the most entertaining out there. Unlike racing series such as Formula 1, NASCAR, or even the World Rally Championship, GTE, GT3, and GT4 cars are still based heavily on cars you can find on dealer lots today. The GT4 class was created to have a true entry-level racing series. Homologation keeps the cars closer to their production counterparts than any of the other GT classes. Engines, bodywork, and suspension are all similar to production versions, though substantially beefed up for racing. In the case of the Audi R8 LMS GT4, more than 60 percent its parts are shared with the R8 coupe. That means parts are plentiful and relatively affordable. There are some significant changes between the production and racing versions. First, the V10 in the road car is actually far more powerful. The R8 LMS GT4 is limited to 495 horsepower, though that can vary slightly to meet different regulations. Also, rather than having Audi's wonderful Quattro all-wheel drive system, the R8 LMS GT4 is rear-wheel drive. Power is sent to the wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Though the car is set to make its debut next month at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, it won't actually be competing until the start of the 2018 season. Audi is simply tuning the car at different tracks before asking for approval at the end of the year. Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect it to fall between the $145,000 of the RS3 LMS and the $450,000 of the R8 LMS GT3. That's not nothing, but in the world of professional racing, it's a relative bargain. Related Video:

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake is a TT peep show

What you're looking at here is the almost-here third-generation Audi TT. Just compress the suspension a bit to take away its Allroad pretensions and rake its backlight to align better with the previous generation's aesthetic, and you're pretty well there. What you're looking at officially, of course, is the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake, a four-seat E-Tron hybrid showcar powered by Audi's venerable 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder (good for 292 horsepower) backed by a 40-kW electric motor and a secondary 85-kW motor acting upon the rear axle to provide low- and moderate-speed drive. The latter also provides through-the-road Quattro all-wheel drive when extra traction and power is called for.
All-in, Audi says the Allroad Shooting Brake's ETron powertrain is good for 408 horsepower and total system torque of 479 pound-feet, enough to haul the 3,500-pound German to 62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds and up to a governed 155 mph. Despite that tidy performance, Audi says the Allroad Shooting Brake offers robust fuel consumption of 1.9 liters per 100k, equivalent to 124 miles per gallon, with a bladder-busting range of 510 miles.